Cowboys, kickin rocks, and
singing cowboy songs

As you can see from the photo above, I've done a watercolor from a sketch on the right. (I've changed the photo) There's several mistakes in the watercolor. Still, it's my own.

We got some snow today here. Not enough to worry about and certainly nothing to complain about either. The people in the Midwest and East have had more than their share.

Pam and the girls went to the movies today. Sorry, but I just couldn't sit thru the Tooth Fairy.

We're having fun with the girls and wish we lived closer to all our family, but everyone is scattered from Alaska to Texas.

Hope everyone will enjoy the Superbowl and have a great Sunday.

Men are from Venus, women from Mars

Men and women must be on a different brain wave. My idea of shopping and dinner is certainly different than a woman's.

I enjoy shopping and eating the samples at Costco's. A woman's idea is certainly different.

So you're wondering what happened.

Don't ask and I won't tell.

Had art class this evening. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The photos on the right aren't all from the class. Some are from the past two years.

No place like home, no place like home.

Received a call this evening from a neighbor from Whale Pass. No snow and it's in the 40's. I miss my house, the studio, workshop, my cat Dude, and the solitude. As much as traveling has been fun, I'm getting anxious to head North.

We're enjoying the grand kids and not having to boil water for showers and washing dishes. Sounds strange doesn't it.

Finally I can stop and smell the roses.

We're still in Parker with Tana and her family. She and Marty opened a new business and it's doing well. Part of their success is all the hours involved. So, we're helping out with the grand kids and a few chores around the house.

During this time I'm taking several art classes from Dona Mares, a local artist. She teaches different mediums and several techniques. Hopefully my art will get better.

On a wing and a prayer

That's how my computer is operating. So updating may become sparatic.


There are 67 stop lights between Carlsbad and Taos

How many do you think I had to stop at.
A. 67
B. 67
C. 67
D. All of the above
And that's why they call them stop lights.


Taos, New Mexico....a slice of Heaven

There's just too much to mention about Taos to discribe here. Just know it's an art community with many fine and famous artist.

I went back and talked to Doug Scott. A famous sculpter now turned painter and making a living with it. This is his 2nd yr of painting. He's self taught, he's broken many 'rules' for painting. Probably because he didn't know what they were to begin with. Besides, his paintings are selling. I talked to him for an hour again this trip. Great inspiration for me to get back to painting.
Here's some of what he's painted http://www.dougscottart.com/paintingarchives.htm

Visited J. D. Challenger studio/gallery. Saw where he paints when he's there in the summer.

Saw my first $45,000 and several $30,000 paintings in another gallery.
Pam went to Hobby Lobby and bought me more paint. I guess my next goal is $100 paintings.

Walked across the Rio Grande Bridge. Long way down.

We're at my daughter's now. Her husband opened a Firehouse Sub sandwich shop. They had a heck of a grand opening day.

Well, that pretty much brings you up to date....Hopefully this computer will work next time I turn it on.

Driving down the road kickin rocks and singing cowboy songs.

After a two and a half day drive, we're finally in New Mexico. We did hear a lot of cowboy songs that we've never heard before.

I think the next time we come thru Texas, I need to get a cowboy hat to sit on the dash board. Nuff said.

Holy crap Batman!

Yep, we visited the bat cave and have video to prove it. We drove to Carlsbad this morning after a night in Ft. Stockton again. The trip here was worth it. Video below. Short video. All in all I took about 30 minutes of the cavern. The path down to the Big Room was about a mile long. Then in the Big Room the path was a 1 mile around the edge, You can fit 14 football fields in it. Enormous and beautiful.

Decided to spend the night in Carlsbad. Word of advice.....drive thru town before getting a room. Hurry up and buy gas before next day. As we were fueling up, a guy came out and changed the price from $2.79 to $2.89 . Does the expression "prices going up before your eyes," mean any thing. Decided to eat in a All You Can Eat Chineese Buffet. Sounded good to us and a change of diet wouldn't hurt. Nice place, pretty Chineese ladies, clean walls, rug, tables, $8.00. Food looked good and tasted pretty good. Then I saw a 7 yr old kid drop something on the floor and throw it back in the serving dishes. Nuff said.

Tomorrow it's on to Taos and spend a day there.

North to Alaska

Farewells said this morning and it was time to leave. Donning our sunglasses and rolling our windows down I pointed the front of the truck North for the first time in over a month. The sun and warm breeze felt good on my arm as it rested on the door. 61 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. As our kids would say,"Sweet".

First stop Fredericksburg 60 miles away. Thought it was going to be a few hours stop, but we opted to spend the night. Nice town and lots to see. Tomorrow we'll spend a little time walking around town and look in the shops and galleries.


We went thru the National Museum of the Pacific War. Certainly worth the trip here and the walk thru the museum.

Just because we're headed North, the trip isn't over. We still have people to see Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, and Indiana.